الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Epilepsy: A brain disease defined by any of the following conditions: At least two unprovoked (or reflex) seizures occurring > 24 hours apart; One unprovoked (or reflex) seizure and a probability of further seizures similar to the general recurrence risk (at least 60%) after two unprovoked seizures, occurring over the next 10 years; Diagnosis of an epilepsy syndrome. Epilepsy is a chronic non communicable disease (NCD), affecting all ages and sex, with a worldwide distribution. Epilepsy affects an estimated 50 million people worldwide and causes more than 17 million disability‐adjusted life‐years annually, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally In simple terms, a seizure can be seen as the result of imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neuronal activity. This leads to the generation of hyper-synchronous firing of a large number of cortical neurons. Epileptic seizures can be classified as partial, generalized, pseudoseizures, nonepileptic seizures and status epilepticus. It is extremely difficult to confirm the exact cause of epilepsy and only in 25 35% of the patients, one can possibly be sure of the exact aetiology. Following are few of the known causes of epilepsy Genetic, Trauma, Tumor, Infection Cerebral degeneration, Cerebrovascular disease, Multiple sclerosis,. Alcohol, Metabolic disorders. In the developed countries predominant causes include developmental disorders and idiopathic causes in children and vascular and degenerative causes in adults, in the developing nations infections, parasites and trauma are the leading causes The diagnosis of epilepsy is based on clinical history, description of seizure activity by those who witnessed, physical examination (looking for focal findings) and encephalographic findings. Physical examination between seizures in idiopathic epilepsy shows no abnormalities, but in the immediate posictal period, extensor plantar response can be observed. Epileptiform EEG changes are essential in the diagnosis and therapeutic management in the epileptic patient. The EEG shows three types of information: confirmation of abnormal electrical activity, the type of seizures and localization of the convulsive focus Other tests used in diagnosis of epilepsy include video EEG, functional magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The standard management of adults with a confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy is antiepileptic drugs therapy. The AEDs are divided into first, second, and third generation AEDs. The mechanism of action of AEDs is via either suppression of excitatory impulses or facilitation of inhibitory impulses in the brain. Traditional AEDs exert antiseizure activity by the following mechanisms: reduce the inward voltage-gated positive currents (Na+, Ca2+), increase inhibitory neurotransmitter activity (GABA), decrease excitatory neurotransmitter activity (glutamate, aspartate).